The Heart of Sapphire
by Impashence
Summary: Dragon's Bait, Vivian Vande Velde AxS A tale of adventure and much more! Selendrile is such a close friend. Could this relationship blossom into something more? Chapter 7 soon to come!
1. Reflections and Memories

A/N: This is my second story ever, and actually this was originally inspired :) , so I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know if I need to change anything, like if I totally messed up the facts or if you have suggestions, etc. XD

Special thanks to Eternal Contradiction for all the advice and help. This is the revamped version of chapter one. I read the book again, and realized that the characters were **slightly** OOC. So hopefully this fixed it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon's Bait, the characters, the story… or anything. cries

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**Chapter 1: Reflections and Memories**

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The sun flickered one last time before sinking below the horizon, casting its last rays of light on the two figures standing high on the cliff. Hands intertwined, their upturned faces maintained an un-earthly glow as the clouds reflected the deep orange and pink of the sky.

Seagulls flew carelessly over the jagged rocks below, and the sound of the waves threw echoes up and down the cliff side.

The young woman closed her eyes, inhaling the sweet smell of the sea.

_When was the last time I left home for this long? _

_Never. I left for the **first** time after my world fell apart a month ago. _The irony of her situation once again played out in her mind. Everything had changed a month ago; for better or worse, she had yet to find out.

"It's beautiful."

"I knew you would like it." His reply came smoothly and without emotion, as expected. She smiled.

"And you always know everything, right?" she teased, leaning forward to look at his face.

"Of course." A strange expression quickly passed over his countenance before becoming placid again... Almost as though a thought had come into his mind only to be dismissed abruptly.

Alys lifted a thin brown eyebrow.

_Suspicious… but wasn't he that way from the beginning?_

He was still facing the ocean, his deep purple eyes betraying nothing of his thoughts.

_What are you thinking?_

He was such a mystery to her. The way he acted, the silence permeating the air around them whenever they were together, his knowing smile and flagrant arrogance; these had all become so familiar in the few weeks they had been traveling together.

Even though he showed no emotion, she had been able to sense what he meant or felt, at least some of the time. His facial expressions were unreadable, but his voice had just recently been revealing some of what he was thinking. It seemed purposeful, the way he was letting her past the mental block he gave everyone else. The change was so subtle, and yet it all had happened too fast. Alys had noticed the change on the third day of their venture, when Selendrile had offered her the option of staying with him. The decisiveness and surety of his tone showed her more than his eyes or expression ever would have. Before, his voice was toneless; bored… But come to think of it, he probably had never had anyone to talk to anyway. Life as a dragon meant next to no communication with humans. Alys was almost sure that she had been the first one to befriend and spend time with him. _If you could call it that._

_Well, you could. _Her inner voice bubbled up suddenly. _Why else would you have held him in your lap when he was dying? You could have left him there. One less dragon to terrorize the countryside... You could have escaped. But you didn't. You care for him, Alys, and you know it. Maybe even as more than a friend. _

_I don't think so…_

_Remember the fruit tree?_

_Yeah._

Discovering his more gentle, genuinely soft side had been even more of a surprise. She smiled to herself, remembering. It had happened about a week ago.

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"Ow!"

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"YES!!!! I'm FINE! For the **last** time, will you leave me alone?!"

Her annoyance had reached its peak. _As IF she couldn't pick fruit without his help. _

"Ok…" Selendrile's bemused and seemingly disinterested voice drifted up to her near the top of the tree. Alys was climbing a huge fruit tree, one of the biggest ones she had ever seen outside of St. Toby's.

Its branches were surprisingly sharp and prickly, taking skin with them every time Alys shifted herself up another level. Her hands were becoming bloody and coarse. Rolling her eyes at the most recent grasp on the branch, Alys decided to take a rest for a bit.

She looked down.

_How far up **am **I anyw_—Alys stopped mid-thought as she took in her distance above ground

_**Breathe. Breathe. **O God, please help me…_

Even if she wasn't afraid of heights, Alys figured that any reasonably** sane **person would be frightened at this height. Selendrile was only about the size of her small fingernail from here. The dark blue peasant shirt was the only recognizable feature about the small golden-haired blob.

Alys grimaced. No doubt he had seen her look down and was chuckling, congratulating himself as victor in their argument. This would have been no problem for **him.**

The inner voice nearly screamed at her:_ Don't you dare look down again!_ Alys knew that if she did, her hands, no matter how painful it would be, would embed themselves in the tree.

Breathing slowly and shakily, Alys took a moment to strategize. How could she get the fruit and bring it all the way down without getting it blood-stained… and she shrugged. Who cared? As long as she got the fruit without his aid, Alys knew they would work it out somehow.

Even though Selendrile could have much more easily obtained her dinner, Alys had decided that since he usually provided for her, she would get her own food for once.

_He does so much for me. _

Besides, they had been having an argument as they hiked. He'd had a retort for nearly **everything** she said. She'd been frustrated and annoyed when she had declared her intent, but was now regretting it dearly. The sky was getting darker and darker, and although the moon had started to come out, visibility in the tree was not good. Starting the climb once more, she climbed up yet another level.

Alys whimpered quietly. The sharp wood worked its way into her hands, turning them an even brighter shade of red as the new blood trickled across her palm.

Looking up, she saw the fruit that she had worked so hard to get to was dangling mere inches away.

_Finally!_

The fruit itself looked strange, having a greenish blue color and shaped like a teardrop. Selendrile had mentioned its' name; something that sounded like "Aipsu", but Alys hadn't really heard him.

They apparently were traveling in Selendrile's home country. He was familiar with all the new plants and colors and what was good to eat and what wasn't. Alys knew she would never have made it through these woods without his help and protection. _Not that I would ever admit it to that arrogant jerk waiting below_, Alys thought in amusement.

After one last painful heave up to the next set of branches, she stretched out her arm, straining to grasp the fruit.

She grazed it with the tips of her fingers, but it only broke off and fell, clunking down the branches to the ground after about a minute.

"AAUUUUUGGHHHHH!!!!!"

"Something wrong?"

"NO!"

His deep chuckle resounded against the tree trunk, making its way to her ears, and turning her cheeks a bright shade of red.

_Next fruit I find, I'm chucking at his head._ She thought.

She glanced around, looking for others. There was a closer one that she hadn't seen just on the other side of the tree trunk. Slowly, carefully, she made her way around and squatted on the branch next to the hanging fruit. Alys reached out easily with one hand, straining to grasp the palm-sized fruit. Too late, she realized that she had lost her footing and grip on the tree branch. She snatched the fruit as a reflex—grabbing for a handhold—but it only delayed her fall half a second. Unbalanced and without support, she began to fall, shrieking as she started to plummet downwards, the fruit clutched to her chest.

As she fell, she hit branch after branch after branch, her body receiving the beating of its life. The air was knocked out of her on first contact. She was falling five, ten, fifteen feet at a time, each break a second for her body to register the new pain. Alys had begun to lose consciousness when she abruptly came flying out from the tree and hit the ground with a loud THUD.

…_Finally…_

The last thing she saw before she slipped into unconsciousness was the shadow of the dragon-youth above her. Then there was darkness.

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Throbbing. The first thing Alys felt when she returned to consciousness was a throbbing pain in her head and back. She groaned as the feeling began to return to her body, the wave of pain coming strongly with it. Rolling over on her side, Alys let it come. She coughed hard, and her eyes widened as a sticky substance flew from her mouth onto her hand. _Blood. _

She closed her eyes, welcoming the dark comfort of her eyelids.

_Wait a second. Where's Selendrile? Where am I?_

Alys' eyes flew back open. They were no longer in the forest. Open sky stretched before her eyes, an ocean of stars overhead. She tried to sit up, but the pain only allowed resting on her elbows. It was only after the pain had subsided and the black dots had disappeared from her vision that she was able to see him. Selendrile was crouching only a couple feet away, a very worried expression on his face. He seemed to be looking at her face, but not her eyes.

_Did he carry me here? _The nearest clearing was over five miles away in the valley, a long ways away from the mountain where they had been hiking._ **How long have I been out?**_ She gathered her thoughts quickly and moaned a small "thank you".

Nearly delirious with pain, Alys smiled. Every limb of her body had hit every limb on the tree, she was sure of it. The air in her lungs was still gone, and her head pounded like thunder in her ears.

Selendrile, having observed everything, from the climb to the fall, was immobile. He only stared at her, as though surprised she was still alive. The expression on his face was impassive, like the time she had woken up to find him staring at her, that first morning. There was not a trace of sympathy in his features, and yet he seemed curiously intense.

Alys groaned and laid back down, rolling on her side once more. She heard movement from behind her, but before she could move or turn back to see what Selendrile was doing, she felt a hand on her shoulder, pushing her gently to the ground, face first.

Alys—having almost swallowed a mouthful of coarse grass—protested, trying to return to the more comfortable position.

"Leave me alone!" She muttered pitifully.

But he didn't. Selendrile began to slowly go over her back, putting pressure on each muscle. It was painful and she flinched with each touch, though she knew it wasn't just because of the pain.

_He's just checking for injuries_, Alys surmised. _He thinks I'm too weak to have survived a fall like that. _Too tired to resist, she gave in, heaving out a sigh.

After checking her for broken bones—which there were none—just large bruises—he sat back with a huge smile on his face and began to laugh silently; whether out of relief or hilarity, Alys couldn't be sure. She loved the sound; it was amazingly human.

She sat up slowly. Pain forced her back down and she winced, resting her head back on the ground. The moonlight lit up the scenery all around them, illuminating both her own face and his as if they were in daylight.

The far away look on her face must have alerted him to her thoughts, because a knowing look crossed over Selendrile's features before his shoulders stopped shaking. The smile started to fade into a smirk again.

"Clumsy."

"And you aren't?" Alys mumbled incoherently, knowing he would win this one. She was too weak to put up a fight.

"Nope." His face came closer to hers as he said this, making his point as clearly as the grin on his face.

That drove Alys over the edge. Adrenaline rushed to her muscles and she sat up quickly, ignoring the shot of pain down her spine. Face reddening, she retorted,

"How can you **say **that? I almost died!"

At that, his eyes became a deeper violet-blue, and a dark look passed over his face, the smile turning cold. There was a deafening silence for over a minute, though the storm raging in each of their eyes was saying more than a thousand words. Unable to bear the heat any longer, Alys finally turned her head to the side, closing her eyes.

"Being someone who chances death everyday, I would have though you'd be used to it by now." Selendrile said coldly. "And besides, whose idea was it to climb the tree in the **first** place?" The teasing tone came back into his voice.

Alys clenched her fists and opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She had no argument. Her face became even redder with embarrassment.

"Ok. I admit; I chose to come with you. I deserve everything that happens to me on this journey; even the painful things." She mumbled the last part under her breath. "Now will you help me get up?" Alys stretched out her arms to him, pleading with her eyes.

Still smiling, Selendrile grasped her by the forearms and hauled her up, letting go when she was perpendicular with the ground. Alys swayed and gasped in pain as she landed on her knees.

Selendrile glanced back as he walked over to their packs. Alys saw his amused look before he turned back around. He heaved both onto his back, knowing full well that she was in no condition to carry them.

_Is he being considerate?_ Alys wondered. _That's a first._

But her surprise doubled when he stopped in front of her and told her to climb onto his back. Crouching in front of her, he shifted the small packs in front of him.

"Get on." He urged as she remained still, undecided. Alys was unsure of which was more important. Her knees, or her pride…

_Body first. _

Reaching out, Alys ran her arms around Selendrile's neck and clasped them in front.

He stood up slowly before saying, "Hold these." Alys took them from his hands. They weren't very heavy, so she slipped them over her own shoulders.

Selendrile locked his arms under her and began to walk away through the yellow grass. Alys was now able to see all around her—from the wheat fields to the glade of trees at the end of the clearing to the small dirt path which they were turning to follow. He was talking over his shoulder, saying something about dinner and a campsite. She didn't hear it though, and she knew she would have to ask him about it later. No doubt he would give her an annoyed glance—again—and a sigh before repeating what he had said. But that was later.

For the moment, Alys was concerned with the fact that he hadn't changed back into a dragon. It would certainly have been easier. _Could it be that he doesn't want to hurt me? Being carried in his talons would certainly not settle well with my body. _

_Sure… But he wasn't a dragon **before** you got hurt. Maybe keeping you company?_

_Maybe… but why go to all the trouble…_

"Thank you." She said demurely. With all that was on her mind, the only thing that she was sure of was the fact that he **was** being considerate, despite how he tried to hide it. Red still tinted her cheeks, and she looked to the side, her head resting on his firm shoulder.

There was no response. Looking over his shoulder again, she saw the remnants of his dragon smile before the emotionless mask once again came over his face. Maybe she would never know what he was thinking exactly, but guessing made it all the more fun.

Alys grinned to herself, thinking about the food hungrily. She hoped, in a deranged sort of way, that she hadn't landed on the fruit. She had been looking forward to eating it.

"When are we going to eat? I'm starving!"

Selendrile sighed before replying in a slightly annoyed, quiet voice, "I just answered that question."

_I'm so stupid_. She mentally berated herself. **_Why did I bring it up? Why?_**

"Oh."

Alys sighed, hoping the rest of the journey wouldn't be as painful as tonight had been.

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Alys smiled, memories fresh in her mind. She had realized two things that day. The first was how human he was. He laughed, he smiled, he worried, and he had _emotion_. The second was how much he was still like a beast. An animal. His purple eyes, his cold smile, his anger, and more importantly, his shape-shifting ability. The way in which he carried himself was like a predator searching for its prey.

Truth be told, she had only seen him in his another form other than his dragon one when they were planting evidence in Atherton's saddlebags. He had been a raven; but even then, it was only once. And she had to remember that he could only be the other forms from dusk to dawn. She was curious, to say the least. He was a dragon first, and all else second. Of course she wouldn't be able to understand.

_But I'm sure you like his human form the best. _

Alys sighed inwardly.

_He **is** very handsome… beautiful deep purple eyes… blond hair… posing as my protector… certainly sounds like my knight in shining armor… _Alys grinned to herself.

Selendrile was foreign to her, and yet such a close friend. How could they have spent the time that they had spent together without being somewhat close?

_More than friends? No… of course not. He could never see me in that way…I'm just another one of the helpless animals… and yet…_

Looking down at their joined hands, she blushed an even deeper red than she already was.

Before they had reached the summit, Selendrile had told her to close her eyes and had grabbed her wrist, leading her up the slope. Blindly, she had followed. Being himself, he purposefully led her much too close to the edge, so that when she opened her eyes, she gasped, stepping back. He laughed as he pulled her back to his side, his hand slipping into hers. His fingers found their way between her own, and color came flooding to her cheeks. Either he didn't know what he was doing, which was often the case, or he knew and was just looking for ways to catch her off guard. Selendrile always seemed to take pleasure in confusing her and in doing the opposite of what she expected of him. He was so unreadable, so bewildering. And still…

Alys felt like she was beginning to know him. She was learning to read him, if only a little. At first, **everything** he did was surprising. **Everything** was new and strange.

Laughing to herself, Alys recalled the misconceptions and honest confusions when they had first started out.

Alys nearly laughed again, the memories triggering more recent ones. But they could wait for other ponderous moments. She certainly never had a lack of those in the woods with him. It had been unusual to hear him talk as much as he had today. Maybe he was opening up to her…

And this place… Apparently, it was one of his favorite places to come and rest. He came here every full and quarter moon, or so he'd said.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Selendrile look over at her, a quizzical expression on his face. But she wouldn't tell him. No, that was too simple. What she thought was her own. And for now at least, she preferred to keep it that way.

On top of that, Alys loved to reverse the little game they played. Alys had learned the rules within the first week they traveled together. If he plays innocent, then act like it doesn't matter. Otherwise, you will never hear the end of it.

Groaning inwardly, she recalled the hair incident. It was STILL growing back. Her beautiful chestnut brown hair was tied loosely behind her head, the odd chunk sticking out here and there; the results of his wonderful hair cut. How was he to understand a female, let alone a **human** girl? Besides, if he could play mysterious, then she could too. Giving him a small, triumphant smile, she let all her thoughts rest toward the back of her mind so that she could give an equally unreadable expression back to him.

He frowned slightly, eyes passing over hers in a piercing gaze. But she didn't falter. Alys had learned to hold her own when it came to his eyes. Although they had once dazzled her, she now could look past them into the outer layer of his thoughts.

_Ha. I win._ Alys thought at him, eyes narrowing.

After a few moments had passed, Selendrile broke the gaze and turned away, chuckling under his breath. Suddenly his expression changed to an amused smile, and soon grew into a mischievous smirk.

Judging from the silence, for a moment Alys thought she'd gotten the last say. Smiling triumphantly, she turned toward him completely and was actually going to tell him off…

But before she could even open her mouth, Selendrile flashed her an evil smile, tightened his grip on her hand and dragged her over the side of the cliff.

**To be continued…**

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A/N: How was it? Too short? Too long? Not a whole lot of action in this chapter, but that is kindof implied by the title: Reflections and Memories. I hope to get more action in the next chapter. I put my heart into this, so even if I do appreciate corrective criticism, I **DON'T **want flames. Not helpful. If you didn't like it at all, please just close the window :)

Yup! Anyhow, I'm so excited!!! My birthday is in six days (May 22) and I finally wrote a fanfic. Its like my birthday present to me! (I don't own the Emperor's New Groove either)

I love this pairing so much and I'm glad to contribute to FINALLY. After all the reading I've done, I had to donate sometime. Give me any tips or suggestions you have! Any OOCness or wrong fact catching is appreciated!

----Much Love,

Impashence

Impashence 2006


	2. Cliff Escapade

**A/N: **'K y'all. I'm back. I'm so sorry for not having updated any sooner, but I was up to my neck in exams and parties and conferences and vacations… I am just glad that I could update THIS soon. Anyhow… Enjoy!

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Chapter 2: Cliff Escapade

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Only now did Alys realize exactly how far up they had been. In her desperate flailing, and to her joyous surprise, she had seized an outcropping on the rock and was dangling precariously about five thousand meters above the water and ten meters from the edge.

Both of her hands were now firmly grasping the cliff side, and her feet had miraculously found a place to rest as well. They were bare and calloused from all the walking they had done, and although at the time the blisters were painful and bothersome, Alys was grateful for the extra protection from the sharp edges protruding from the rocky cliff.

Alys found it hard to breathe. _Too high… _

In gasps, she called out for Selendrile.

But there was no answer. The silence was broken only by the roaring waves below.

Chancing a look down, Alys searched frantically for him. The waves were crashing violently against the jagged rocks underneath her feet, and there was no sign of him. She twisted to look at the sky, squinting. The vast array of color that painted the sky obscured her chances of being able to see the golden form of the dragon. _What were you doing? What were you thinking?_

It felt strange, being alone. Tears started slipping unbidden down her face and she blinked them away as best she could. Alys turned toward the cliff again_. Can't cry now. I gotta get up the cliff._

Alys took a deep breath and then attempted to scale the ninety-degree precipice. "Attempt" was an extremely accurate description as that five minutes later, after she had gained all of two feet, she lost her footing and fell another five feet before catching herself. It was too much.

The sea was no longer calming, the sunset no longer beautiful. Everything was collapsing. _Is he really gone?_

Was she cursed to live alone?

First Mother, then Father, now Selendrile…

"_No!!!" _Alys yelled into the darkening sky

"Please, no… don't take him away from me. I'm sorry for what I said to him earlier. God, just please don't let him die…" she mumbled the last sentence incoherently, "…show me where he is."

There was silence for a few moments before:

"Huh. I was going to leave you to hang here 'till morning, but after that dramatic speech, I _might_ call it a truce."

"…"

The amused voice drifted down to her from above, and Alys began to fume silently, her head still facing the rock. Hair covered her face, but she knew that if she looked up right now, she would see the handsome smirking countenance of her male companion peeking over the edge at her.

The voice had seemed not only amused but mischievous. Alys grimaced slightly. His "joke" had nearly cost her life and his. _Well, not really his. He can fly… What now? Augh. He wouldn't have really left me… would he?_

"Oh, if only I didn't need his help to get up this stupid cliff I would…" she began mumbling angrily. His soft laugh came from above, and she trailed off, not finishing her sentence. Her mind finished it for her. _As if you could ever hurt someone. Even concerning your greatest enemy; you would find it in your heart to let them go. No matter the pain they caused you. And to think you would try to harm a friend…_

Like Atherton. Like the villagers that had lied about her. Thinking of that only made it worse.

Momentarily regaining control of her anger, Alys looked up… to find him missing. She lost it again.

"SELENDRILE!!! IM GONNA KILL YOU WHEN I GET UP THERE!!!" Her scream echoed down the cliffs.

The prolonged silence that followed was rather lonely, as was the sight of the empty cliff edge.

Suddenly, he reappeared, diving over the cliff edge headfirst. Her eyes widened, taking in the situation. _Ohhhhh no_

Alys gasped, nearly losing her grip on the rock face in her surprise.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

He didn't answer, somersaulting in midair. The distance between them lessened as fast as Alys could blink. The last thing she saw before she closed her eyes was his face.

The smug expression and shining white teeth. Dragon features. Alys clung on harder to the rockface.

But it didn't help.

Before she knew what was happening, his arms came around her waist, dragging her from the cliff. Alys lost her grip immediately and gave a short, terrified scream.

Selendrile's laugh echoed in her ears and his hands moved to turn her towards him. He pinned her arms to her side and whispered gently, "I forgive you."

Alys blushed a beet red as his warm breath tickled her ear and neck. "I kn-know." she stuttered as she struggled to pull herself from his iron-grip. His face pulled back against the wind to survey her expression, his eyes searching hers, before his smile widened. Seeing what she was doing, Selendrile whispered again, "You wont let go?"

"Yes, I promise."

The grip loosened and she pulled her arms free so that she could cling to his chest. She buried her face in the blue fabric on his shoulder so that the wind and ocean spray would not be as painful on her cheeks. His arms shifted slightly, adjusting to the new position as his head tilted to survey the fast-approaching rocks.

The entire time they had been plummeting headfirst, and although his hair was tied back, the bright blond ponytail was long enough to tickle her face. Alys laughed gently and blushed again. _I've never been this close to a man before. _

But here reverie did not last long.

Looking down, Alys realized that the waves were suddenly very close; not only that, but they were much louder, and the distance was closing rapidly.

Three hundred feet.

Two hundred.

"Selendrile? Not to worry you or anything," Alys yelled over the roar of the waves, "but if you were planning to do something about this, the time is NOW!"

He turned toward her with that sardonic expression on his face, and that was the last thing she saw before he was torn away from her in a silent explosion of wings and scales. Alys was thrown away horizontally from Selendrile at a speed she had never experienced before. She closed her eyes, terrified beyond reason. The force of the explosion sent her flying into the cliff wall, and she hit it hard, the breath knocked from her lungs at once. Nerves in absolute confusion, Alys saw black spots and then stars. A far away notion reached her through the haze of shock and pain… as she once again began to plummet downwards._ Free falling is much different alone._ Her thoughts were in a blur, it took all her strength to stay alert, and yet this one thought tortured her brain with it's persistent pounding.

She began to flail her arms in an attempt to grasp the wall, but it was much too far away… and the ocean was too close…

_It's over._

A wave doused her completely before Selendrile, in his expert timing, was able to pull her up and away from the sea by her forearms.

Alys' mind was spinning, and she knew the migraine she would have in an hour—or six—would probably not be worth this joke. The scenery was flying by, the distance between her own feet and the ocean was increasing immensely with each beat of his powerful wings.

Fatigue began to sink in as she relaxed in the grasp of her companion. Her position wasn't comfortable, but she had gotten used to the pain and discomfort. The sun was gone now, and only small hints of blue and orange were left in the sky, somewhat silly reminders of the peace and tranquility they had shared less than a half hour before. Relief washed over her like a tidal wave. All the tension and anxiety slipped away… and Alys smiled, letting her consciousness do the same.

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Later that night, under a starry sky and on top of yet another haystack, Alys awoke. Rubbing her forearms she sat up, eyes still on the stars. Her neck began to ache after a few minutes had gone by. A voice brought her out of her daze.

"You're awake." Turning her head, she saw Selendrile, hands locked behind his head, lounging against the packs, doing the same thing she had been just moments before.

She yawned. "Yup. My arms hurt, but I guess that's nothing really new, huh?"

Alys laughed to herself, letting her hair cover her face as she turned to lean on her elbows. He glanced down at her, smirked and looked up again.

Alys rolled her eyes. _Men. _

He spoke again, teasing evident in his voice and eyes, although his expression remained placid. "You should have heard yourself."

"Oh, be quiet!"

His eyes sparkled, but he obediently didn't say anything more.

"Are we eating tonight? Or should I go and scrounge for berries while you stargaze all night long?" She suddenly remembered that he never ate anything around her. "Or I could just starve." she added sarcastically.

At that remark he smiled, and she felt a twinge of fear as she realized that he could and might do just that. Much to her relief, he reached into the pack and pulled out what looked like fruit and a package of dried meat.

He stood up and went into the trees, coming back shortly with an armful of logs of various sizes and shapes. T_o make a fire_, Alys guessed.

They sat down near the fire across from each other, the firelight casting eerie shadows about the small clearing. Selendrile pulled what looked like a dark fruit out of the bag and sniffed at it. Alys realized suddenly that it was the fruit she had gotten last week.

"Oh gross! Don't eat that, its not clean." She said with disgust, surprised that the fruit was still intact

_I guess food doesn't rot so easily out here… Wherever we are. _

"Why did we keep it in the first place?"

Her question went unanswered. Selendrile picked up the aipsu fruit and began to lick the blood off of it, all the while maintaining eye contact with Alys. The expression he held was one of strange amusement. When he had finished, he took out the water pouch from their pack and washed the fruit in it.

Alys stared blankly at him in a state of shock. She had no idea whether to feel frightened that the fact that he was enjoying the taste of her blood, or to be happy that he was simply going to eat that and not her.

He looked up, handing the fruit to her. Alys nearly squeaked in surprise. _**I** am supposed to eat it!?_

Eyeing him warily, she took it from his hand and rolled it in hers for a minute before carefully and gingerly taking a bite.

_Delicious!_

The pale blue juice dribbled down her chin as she finished her bite. The taste was strangely wonderful; it reminded Alys of the toffee sweets she had received from Father Joseph as a child. She smiled at Selendrile, who looked back at her with a pleased expression.

Alys finished it in less than a few minutes. Aipsu was a very satisfying fruit. After finishing it, she felt as full as if she had just eaten an entire cheese loaf; they were another one of the Father's specialties. He was a surprisingly good cook and a wonderful friend.

_But he's gone now._

Tears sprang unexpectedly to Alys' eyes. She wiped at them, laughing at herself for being so emotional. The memories came flooding back, overwhelming her. She tried to push it away, but as tired as she was, it was impossible.

Selendrile, having seen the transformation of her emotions from joy to grief, walked around the fire to squat beside her, an innocently confused expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" he said, his voice sounding somewhat sincere. "Did it taste that horrible?"

"No," Alys replied softly through her tears. "It just reminded me of an old friend… who…" At this point, her voice broke. Too much excitement today…too many memories… too much emotional stress… it was all crashing down on her now.

She sighed, trying her best to pull herself together. "It's nothing really... I'm fine."

"No you're not." His abrupt response startled her. "Come here."

Selendrile's hands beckoned to her, and his eyes showed his how genuine the offer was. She moved toward him—though not entirely of her own will— and bit her lip, trying to decide if he was just going to fool with her again.

Rolling his eyes, Selendrile closed the distance between them, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her in his arms. "You need to relax. I had forgotten that you humans needed so much rest." His tone was light as he walked away down the slope of the hill they were on.

The moonlight illuminated them as he walked. Alys let herself cry, something she had not done in the anyone's presence for three years. Selendrile's arms tightened almost imperceptibly about her in a protective gesture as she sobbed. She felt rather comforted by it and her tears subsided within a few minutes.

Their descent only lasted for a little over twenty minutes. Selendrile stopped, gently lowering Alys to the ground. There were trees overhead now, and Alys realized that what she had been laid on was a soft linen-covered mat filled with hay. Her eyes began to close involuntarily.

Selendrile left briefly and came back with a dark wool blanket, draping it over her carefully. The weather was not chilly, but winter was coming, and the wind had a bite to it, especially at night, so Alys was thankful.

"I appreciate it, Selendrile," she said sleepily. The next part she said so quietly that had he been a normal human man he would not have heard it. "You were right…I've been proving myself to be much more trouble than I'm worth."

He turned around mid-stride, catching her gaze and holding it. She shivered, from the breeze or the unnamable expression she couldn't be sure. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Will you…" She began to ask, trying to break free from his eyes. "Will you come get me in the morning?"

"Perhaps."

He smiled before disappearing into the night.

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A/N: So that's it. No cliffie this time. :D Feel free to give me any help or suggestions.

Impashence 2006


	3. Where are we going?

A/N: Heyyy… This chapter should be a bit less characterization than the last two… I'm so happy that you guys like it, and I want to thank y'all for review'n for me. --

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon's Bait…or Selendrile… but… but… can't I have Alys? PLEAASEEE??? –Sniff- ok. It's all YOUR fault I have no friends… XD

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Chapter 3: Where are we going?

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The morning was cool, crisp and inviting. Alys stretched and yawned quietly as she sat up in her bedding, glancing over at the place where he should have been sleeping.

_Of course he isn't there. _

If it hadn't been for the large area of matted grass, she would not have known that he had slept there the night before. The way he had left her last night, she assumed he had slept somewhere else. _Maybe he went to get our stuff and bring it back here._ Her suspicions were confirmed as soon as she saw the packs lying nearby.

Alys rolled her eyes and groaned as she lay back down and snuggled into the warmth of the wool blanket. Morning dew laid heavily all around her, but the wool blanket was too thick to absorb much, and she was grateful for the fact.

The quiet of the surrounding forest was comfortably lulling her back to sleep. It felt so good to finally be able to rest, especially after the draining hike and cliff escapade of the previous day. There were no birds to give her a 'good morning' call, but the sun was doing just as good of a job as its rays began to flow over the crest of the hills in the distance. Orange, yellow and light red hues spread across the ever-brightening sky. Morning was not yet here, but was fast-approaching.

Alys pulled the blanket over her head and a smile spread across her face as she welcomed the warm darkness. But her quiet did not last long.

"Wake up." She felt a pressure on her ribs. Alys groaned again as she rolled over onto her stomach, pulling the blankets more securely around herself.

"Please no…" she said. "Leave me alone. "

"Get up NOW."

"NO! Go AWAY!"

The pressure came off her ribs, and at first she thought that he had left. She hadn't heard him coming in the first place, and she figured she wouldn't hear him leave.

But the blankets flew off, and the morning chill came stinging her face, bare arms and feet. Alys sat up instantly, curling up into a ball. She was still wearing the cotton trousers and peasant's shirt, but her boots were gone, no doubt Selendrile's doing.

"Auughh! I said go away!" She opened her eyes, sure that if she glared hard enough, fire would come pouring out to incinerate him… like it hadn't the last six times she had wished it. She averted her eyes, clenching her fists quietly at her side. _One of these days…_

He looked at her, clearly amused. It was almost as though he could hear what she was thinking. A smirk nearly formed at his lips, but was gone before she could blink. Maybe it had just been her imagination. The blank look took over his facial features before she could give it a second glance.

Turning away from her, he started packing up what little they had accumulated from their visit to the village a few days ago. St. Michael's was somewhere north of St. Toby's as far as Alys knew. They had needed food, or at least Alys had (Selendrile made sure to make that fact as clear as day), so they'd only bought what was necessary, even though both of them knew that Selendrile could afford more.

"We have to get going."

"I know."

"Then wake up."

"I AM awake."

"You know what I mean," he replied, annoyed, "Get up!"

_What if I don't?_ Alys thought defiantly. The blankets were warm, and if she could win this argument, she just might be able to stay in them a few minutes more. But almost as soon as she had thought it, she knew it would be a fruitless attempt. Alys could almost feel the waves of anger emanating from his figure.

"…Or else I will have to pack you up with the rest of our stuff, and carry you, tied hand and foot, along with it."

His response to her unasked question was so serious that she looked up into his eyes again, shocked. They were nearly sparking._ He couldn't be serious. Could he?_

Before she could argue, come up with something witty to say, or even recover, he was in her personal space, his face inches from hers. She tried to get away, scooting out of the bedding as quickly as she could, but to no avail. Alys protested as he lifted her from the ground and set her down on her feet.

Alys regained her footing clumsily, nearly falling into a small spruce tree. He smirked triumphantly down at her and she glared back, meeting his gaze as steadily as she could.

_It reminds me of yesterday. The wind whipping in our faces, the thrill of the free fall. The smell of… damp meadow grass on a spring day…_

Alys remembered putting her face into his shoulder and she blushed, breaking eye contact when she saw the curious look on his face_. Does he do it to make me nervous, to keep me guessing? _She sighed and walked over to their things, shouldering one of them. A small whooshing noise made her start and look around.

Suddenly, she found herself sprawled in the underbrush. Alys groaned. _He could warn me before he does that. _She had knocked into a small tree and it had hit her square in the forehead, judging from the sore spot and her conspicuous trail of broken branches. She sat there, legs sprawled under her, and rubbed at it ruefully. "Ohhh_…_" Alys groaned, pulling herself up from her knees. _What a wonderful way to wake up…_

As she turned, Alys saw the dragon in the clearing, his head tilted at her impatiently.

"I'm coming." She called, hurrying to pick up the bundles that Selendrile had packed up. She ran over to him and threw the bundles onto his back. As he lay down momentarily to let her climb onto his back, his long neck swung around to watch her. The laughter in his eyes as she struggled to scale his back made her want to kick him. _Not that it did any good the first time either. _She thought, laughing to herself.

After a while of watching her attempt to climb only to slide back down, Selendrile used his head to hoist her up onto his back. It was a gentle nudge, but still fast, and Alys landed on her face.

"Mmmphhh!"

He made a growling noise that almost sounded like a laugh, and the scales on his back rippled. Alys picked herself off her face and sat up, adjusting her clothes and swiping at invisible dust. Craning to see around his golden neck, she glimpsed what could have been a smile on his lips.

With a couple of beats from his strong wings, Selendrile took them into the air. Alys grabbed for his golden mane and sighed. Her inner voice was laughing at her, a small wind-chime-like sound. Alys rolled her eyes.

This would be the third time she had been allowed to ride on his back since they had met. At first he had carried her only by her arms, but after Alys had asked--No, begged--to ride on his back instead, he had simply nodded. Although, it didn't mean that she was allowed to ride all the time. She couldn't hold him to his word in most instances; usually Alys found herself being transported in whatever way suited him best.

The view was gorgeous… The sun shone a gorgeous bright orange-ish pink, and frightened birds were shrieking apologetically as they fluttered by the large dragon and his passenger.

Her handholds on his golden mane never slackened throughout the entire ride, even as she slept or daydreamed. They flew many hours into the afternoon, most of which Alys slept away… But, when she was awake she couldn't help wondering how long they had flown and where they were going. As far as she could tell, the general scenery hadn't changed much. There were still mountains, if not a bit larger than the ones she was accustomed to, and the valleys were still tree-filled and meadowed. One difference, she noticed, was the amount of water. On the horizon, instead of the ocean from the previous couple of nights, there sat a huge lake. The unusual thing about it was that it was in a crater-like formation at the top of a mountain. It seemed to be steaming in the autumn air, though from this distance, Alys wasn't sure whether or not it was the afternoon haze.

After circling above the crater, Selendrile finally landed near a small village on the edge that reminded her of St. Toby's; it was small, cozy, and people walked the streets laughing and talking quietly among themselves. Alys felt a sudden twinge in her chest. _I can't go back and to that life. What's been done is done. I have to move on._

With a groan Alys slid off his back, landing in a heap next to his dragon belly. "We're finally here." She breathed, lying down in the cool grass, appreciating the stillness and security of the solid ground.

Selendrile lumbered off only to reappear a minute later in human form, wearing peasant clothes. He was carrying the packs on his back. Alys reached up to block the sunlight from her eyes as he came closer. Dropping one of the bags near her head, he stood beside her.

"The village is called Mt. Vision. I've often visited this place in human form to gain the trust of the villagers, doing odd jobs and such. They know me as Jonathan here." Alys looked up at him through the blinding sunlight and saw that his face held no expression at all. His voice was factual and toneless, as though he were telling her what the weather would be like tomorrow. When he had finished speaking, Selendrile hoisted her from the ground from under her knees and back. Alys blushed, but remained silent as he proceeded to walk down a dirt path she presumed led to the village. He continued.

"My reappearance with a lady friend won't be much of a shock to them. I suppose you might say I have a family here, so don't be surprised if they treat us as such."

"But I thought you hated interacting with humans."

"I do. Like I said, I played this role only to gain their trust." His face became clouded by an emotion Alys could not place, as though he were remembering something unpleasant. "I may be in need of this place at a later time."

"What time?" She inquired hesitantly. Selendrile did not answer and continued to walk. The conversation was over.

Once they reached the outskirts of the village Selendrile set her down, but his hand snaked around her waist protectively. The guards at the perimeter of the village looked gave them suspicious glances as they approached. Selendrile seemed to take no notice and called out, "Tomas! It's me, Jonathan."

The younger of the two guards on the wall came forward, squinting at Selendrile before breaking into a toothy grin. He was well built, tall and handsome, with dark, tousled hair and a dark complexion.

"Hello Jon. What took you so long to come back? Looks like you haven't aged a bit!"

Alys rolled her eyes as Selendrile laughed pleasantly. It sounded so fake.

"And you've grown up well, Tomas! Sporting a beard nowadays?"

Tomas came down from the wall and went to open the gate, all the while talking to Selendrile and informing him about what he'd missed since he'd been gone. This new side of Selendrile that she was seeing intrigued Alys. His "genuinely" kind smile and laid back attitude were far from the harsh, cold, and confident dragon she was starting to know.

"Gwen's finally agreed to marry me." Tomas laughed heartily and slapped him on the back. Alys held back a laugh when she saw Selendrile grit his teeth and felt his hand tighten at her side.

Tomas continued, still smiling genuinely. "After you left she started noticing me."

Alys arched an eyebrow. Selendrile was a favorite among the ladies in more than a few towns. Tomas finally cast a glance at Alys and smiled mischievously, winking at Selendrile.

"But you found of a girl of your own, huh?"

Alys started to correct him, but Selendrile interrupted. "Yeah," Alys nearly toppled over. _What!?_ He pulled her to his chest in a playful manner, kissing her forehead. Alys blushed angrily, trying to recover and play along._ What do you think you're doing?_ "We just got engaged last month." Her eyes grew wider.

"Really? Congratulations. I thought you'd never find a girl that you liked. You weren't into women as far as I could tell." Tomas chuckled. "Guess I was wrong. But, you sure caught a pretty one. She's **almost **as pretty as Gwen."

Alys smiled painfully, resisting the strong urge to strangle them both. After a second or two of awkward silence, Tomas turned back around and led them through the gate, muttering something along the lines of, " Ahem, well then, I'll show you inside." He was walking a few yards ahead, so Alys decided this was a good time to clarify some things.

"So we _are _pretending to be a couple this time?" She whispered.

Selendrile kept on coldly staring ahead without answer.

"You could have at least told me." Alys huffed angrily.

He finally looked down at her, but the expression was neither friendly nor gentle. "I apologize for not spelling out every detail for you. Follow my lead. We will only stay here for a couple nights at the most, so there shouldn't be many chances for you to blow our cover."

Alys almost retorted, but clamped her mouth shut when she saw the reprimand in his eyes. She looked down, flustered. "I-I'll try."

Finally he smiled, but it was not directed at her. Startled, sleep-ridden faces of curious persons were peeking out from their homes into the street. They followed the broad-shouldered silhouette of Tomas down three or four different streets and corners to a well-lit inn near the edge of town.

Alys craned her neck to get a glimpse of the sign as they passed under it. It was in some kind of foreign language. She frowned. _They speak English here… Why is the sign in a different language? _

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A/N: I realize it's a stupid cliffhanger… doesn't make any sense etc.. you can rant all you want… But here's what's going on: Chapter 3 was about to become 5 pages longer, when I decided that I could make the extra five pages into ANOTHER CHAPTER!!! And then convert that Five into 10 or maybe less.. who knows. :D ALSO!!! Chapter four (or I guess five, now) is almost completed, but like I said, I have to add that whole section in the middle, so who knows. :P

sigh So much to add… and so little time… At least that's how I felt while writing this chapter :) Please R&R!! After all these months, I feel so horrible for not having written anything for ya'll. I am trying to write more often, but most of my ideas don't fit into this story at the moment. Lol. :D The good news is, I'm writing later chapters, so they should come more regularly at least. 

Impashence2006-2007


	4. Mount Vision

A/N: Ok, so I added more to the last chapter. XD Please read… I know it's a pain that I'm rewriting stuff, but I added some vital information about the main plot of the story… hehh ehhhhh. So please read that… As for this chapter... sorry that its so late, but with college stuff and crying every other night due to stress, it hasn't been easy recently. :(

Thank you for your patience, my loyal readers… Now, onto the chapter!

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Chapter 4: Mt. Vision

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When her eyes adjusted to the room, she saw that Tomas was already at the counter in the center, asking questions to the innkeeper about rooms, but the innkeeper, after looking past Thomas and making eye contact with Alys, kept shaking his head and frowning. The strange, nervous expression he wore made Alys feel uncomfortable, so she moved to a different part of the room, watching the people come in and out.

Eventually, Tomas moved back over to them and reported, "There aren't any available rooms here tonight, and unfortunately this is the only inn we have in the town." He rubbed the back of his head self-consciously. "There's a huge festival this weekend, celebrating some great hero or king or something pointless like that, so that's why all the rooms must be booked. We get a lot of business around this time of year because of our location."

Alys was confused, but chose not to ask him what he meant. Selendrile simply shrugged. "Then where should we stay?"

"Do you have your supplies with you?"

"No, we left them just outside the village."

Tomas smiled. "Then I'll have a couple of the men go and get them for you. As for your lodgings, you're free to stay with Gwen and I tonight if you wish."

"If it wont give you any trouble-"

"No trouble at all!" Tomas interrupted, "Follow me this way. We live just down the street from here."

Alys frowned as Selendrile firmly steered her back out of the inn with a firm grip her elbow and looked back at the foreign lettering. It seemed familiar somehow, but she couldn't quite grasp exactly of what it reminded her.

The grip on her elbow lessened when Tomas slowed down to walk in step with them. He mentioned something about a festival celebrating the a coming harvest and the fruitful summer. Alys didn't pay much attention to his bantering, and pretended to rest her head on Selendrile's shoulder as they walked. While he didn't seem to mind or notice her change in position, Alys couldn't help thinking about how she should have been able to have the same nonchalance by now when he touched her. Her eyebrow creased in anticipation of the new situation. _At the very least, I hope Gwen isn't nosy or particularly sharp. _

She giggled to herself, earning her a few strange glances from passerbys and a tighter hand on her waist from Selendrile. Not caring about either, she thought humorously, _If her husband is any indication of her intelligence, I don't think we'll have much trouble keeping our cover. _

When they reached the house, Alys watched Tomas run to and hold a beautiful, fair-haired woman. They spoke quietly and Gwen seemed to take the news with grace. Gwen's presence exuded control and strength, and Alys was immediately intimidated.

As though sensing this, Selendrile said, "Don't worry, she's not as perceptive as she appears concerning the true nature of others. She is more perceptive concerning gossip." Alys smiled at this and picked up her head. He continued, "I need to tell you this now before we go inside: I have a friend here in this village who knows me well, and I must go see him tonight. I've heard there is a festival tonight, so you _will_ stay with Gwen until I return." The look in his eyes was strange, but she nodded resentfully.

Tomas walked back to them, mumbling something about going to get their bags and where they were, etc. Selendrile pointed out the general direction, and Tomas took off a run. Meanwhile, Gwen came over to them slowly, smiling. After they were introduced formally, Gwen showed them to their different rooms. She paused in front of the first room and said, "I wasn't sure whether or not you wanted to share a room, so I hope this arrangement will be alright. And if you at anytime would like to do so, I have no problem with it." She spoke with a slow, comfortable drawl.

Alys blushed and glanced at Selendrile. He looked into her eyes with what she knew to be an amused smile and replied, "We will be fine, thank you."

Once Gwen had left, Alys breathed a sigh of relief. Selendrile let her go and saying nothing, went into his room and shut the door. She closed the door to her own room after her and lay out on the bed.

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She awoke in a panic from a horrible vision. Gwen had shaken her awake after hearing her whimpering in her sleep. It was only the second time she had experienced this dream, but Alys was not one to dream much, so it frightened her. _I'll talk to Selendrile about it later._ She knew he would probably laugh at her, but she no longer cared. It felt significant somehow.

With a strange look, Gwen asked, "Are you alright?" When Alys nodded she continued, speaking quickly, "I was hoping that you and I might go to the festival together tonight. You slept for less than an hour, but you will be able to sleep later tonight. When Tomas brought in your things, I noticed they were mostly tools, money, bedding, and food. What about your _clothes_ darling?" She cut Alys off before she could respond. "Well, we'll just have to fix that then, wont we? Come with me right now, and lets get you ready to go."

Gwen led her by the hand into the master bedroom, where she searched through all her dresses and found them a nice, casual pair of dresses, some elegant jewelry, and some jeweled hairpins. Beckoning Alys to her, Gwen said, "Let me do your hair. I can do mine. The blue dress is yours. I think it would suit your form quite nicely. The maroon one is mine; Tomas bought it for me on our honeymoon. Now sit right there. Yes. Let's see… We'll do your hair up in a braid, and then we can decorate it with my hairpins." She continued to talk about nonsensical things until both of them were fully dressed, adorned with jewels, makeup, and matching slip-on shoes. Finally, they were ready to step out into the cool autumn night.

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Alys felt strange and a little embarrassed about her appearance, but, having seen her reflection in Gwen's mirror, she was sure that she had never felt more beautiful in her entire life. As they walked toward the blazing, bright lights and sounds of the festival in the town's main square, Alys took note of all the strange buildings and corners and alleyways. She hoped to be more aware than she had been at St. Toby's.

Gwen was cooing and sighing at all the wonderful things, along with a few of her friends that had joined them. All the women at this event were dressed in various colors, adorned with jewels, purses, and trinkets that Alys would have only dreamed of owning less than a year before. Gwen had linked her arm through Alys', so she couldn't get away, but she had decided to try and enjoy the female company anyhow.

Gwen certainly was enjoying it. Her loud, at times obnoxious voice boomed over the others' voices, and she seemed very much so in control of the conversation. She was very hard to follow because of the speed at which she talked; Alys had learned this earlier in the night. She also babbled endlessly about the town gossip, discussing who was to be married, the town hangings and burning of witches, etc. Alys tuned out after hearing about the last topic, with the desire to avoid that topic and the memories that surfaced with it.

However, she could not stay out of the topic of conversation for very long… A young woman with mysterious eyes joined their small group, and Gwen greeted her, but the girl kept her eyes on Alys. The gaze disconcerted her almost as much as Selendrile's did. _Why does this woman remind me of him?_ She thought languidly. But before the girl could say anything to her...

"Hello! Rhoda, you will never believe who I have here. Her name is Alys. She just got engaged last mo- Oh! Where is your engagement ring darling?" Alys, surprised by the question turned red and fumbled with her words, but Rhoda interrupted her strangled effort to talk.

"_Gwen,_" She said admonishingly, "she is obviously uncomfortable and embarrassed. Please don't ask such silly questions. What girl would wear an expensive ring on a long journey? She probably left it in the safe keeping of her fiancé. Isn't that right, Alys?"

Alys, confused as to who this woman was and how she knew her name, nodded mutely. "Um, Yes, Jon has my ring." Rhoda smiled at her and they walked together.

While Gwen and a couple others stopped at a vendor's table, she pulled her aside into an alley. Alys became fearful immediately, but Rhoda soon quelled it with a gentle smile.

"Don't be afraid. I know who you are, your entire situation, including why you are here. Selendrile is back at my house discussing the next course of action with my husband Michael. He told me to come and make sure that you were alright. You know, you are very fortunate to have such a lenient "fiancé". Most dragons don't keep human company. He must see something unique in you." Alys blushed at that. Rhoda grinned. "My husband and I are both dragons, although we do not have the restriction that Selendrile has. I would take more time to explain if we had it, but I will just give you the basics. He is one of the last in a long, royal line of golden dragons. A wizard that lives in the mountains about five days away by wagon has freed my husband and me of our limitation. He cannot do the same for Selendrile because of his heritage, but the plan is to go and see him for advice concerning the Prophesy. You may ask Selendrile for the details of his conversation with my husband later, and as I said, I do not have the time to relay everything right now. Just know that you have an ally in me."

Alys felt like her brain had overloaded with information, and she felt so overwhelmed that she began to cry. She sank to her knees and let the tears fall. Her day had been so filled of surprises and shocks, and this was too much to handle on top of all of that. Rhoda reached down to her and helped her back on her feet and then held her, allowing her to cry on her shoulder.

None of this made sense. Royal heritage? Limitations? Finally, she wiped her tears on a handkerchief that Rhoda handed her. Rhoda smiled and said, "Let me help you clean up and reapply that makeup." That done, Alys followed Rhoda back to where Gwen and the others were still ogling all the beautiful jewels and necklaces. For the next hour, she walked around with Rhoda, laughing and joking as though she had known her forever. She finally felt like a girl again, after having lived with men her whole life. Her mother hadn't been around to teach her those kinds of things.

Toward the end of the festival, when Alys was least expecting him to show up, Selendrile appeared among the female crowd along with Michael and Tomas, who Alys assumed had found them as they made their way there. She stared at him, bewildered. He was laughing and talking to Michael easily, and without restraint, so far as she could tell. But the joviality in the air was so refreshing to Alys, and she decided to relax more. The group wandered from shop to shop, moving through the vendors and crowds.

At one point during the night, one of the vendors caught Alys attention.

"Young lady!"

He was a middle-aged, wiry fellow and was holding up for her a beautiful sapphire pendant. Smiling kindly at her, he said, "Take it, please. It is my pleasure to grace such a beautiful young woman with such a fitting pendant. See here, it even matches your dress." He gestured to her apparel, and she blushed. Rhoda nudged her in the side and whispered, "Take it Alys! Its gorgeous! And free…"

Alys took the pendant slowly from his hand and held it up to the light. It truly was beautiful. Rhoda took it from her and fastened it around her neck, replacing the necklace that Selendrile had put there earlier in the day. Alys looked up to say thank you to the man, but he was staring intently at the pendant, a strange expression on his face. Noticing her glance, he looked nervously up at her and laughed strangely. "Haha, forgive me, it looks exceptional on you." Alys raised an eyebrow, but said her thanks and Rhoda dragged her from the stall back into the group. When Alys looked back a second later, the man was gone. _Hmmm… that was strange. _But she soon forgot all about it as the party moved to the center of the square to join in the dancing.

Finally, Selendrile approached her, bowing clumsily, which made her nervous, and asking for a dance. Rhoda smiled and slyly slipped away in time to leave them some privacy. But Alys soon wished she hadn't. She agreed to dance and soon they were among the musical uproar in the main square. Selendrile danced abnormally close to her, fingering her hair and giving her a look of appraisal. As he drew nearer, Alys smelled alcohol; the scent of champagne and wine mixed overwhelming her nose. She tried to back away to look into his eyes, but he drew her closer to him and held her against his chest gently, kissing her hair, ears and neck as he moved her from the dance to the outer rim. "Alys…You look beautiful." He slurred quietly.

Alys eyes widened, not so much at the compliment, but at his unguarded, drunken state. He was taking this too far. She had never seen him drunk, and embarrassed as she was, she wished Rhoda would come to her rescue. Instead, Michael came over to them, a sheepish look on his face. Mumbling and rubbing the back of his head, he said, "He's drunk."

Alys rolled her eyes and tried to detangle herself from him, turning toward Michael. _As if that isn't __**obvious**_ Selendrile instead wrapped his arms around her from behind. Alys face reddened considerably, but Michael continued, "I gave him some information tonight that upset him, greatly. I cannot tell you here, and I think he may tell you sooner or later, but just know that it has to do with something very personal. He began to drink, and I couldn't stop him. I don't remember the last time he did this to himself. But you must forgive him; it was too much for him to take all at once. I regret telling him; he doesn't take liquor very well. If you want, I can take him to the house where you are staying… or even my house. I brought him here so you could decide, because he is obviously not in his right mind."

By this time, Michael was fidgeting and looking at his feet nervously. Rhoda had come to his side, and was sternly listening to the conversation. When he had finished, she spoke.

"Alys, take him home. I doubt he would want to be staying in our house tonight, given that it might look suspicious, and I have even stronger doubts concerning his condition in the morning. I will explain things to Gwen, you don't need to worry." She turned her attention to Michael. "How _could _you let him get this way? You are no wimp… or at least I hadn't thought you were…"

Michael whined, "Aw, come on Rhoda…" but then quieted when her attention went back to Alys.

Sending a grateful look to Rhoda, Alys nodded. "Sure, I will."

And she began the trek home with Selendrile hanging on her shoulder. As they walked, Selendrile was muttering something under his breath. Alys only caught words like: Murderer…magic…never again….make things right…prophesy…stupid… He was far too out of his mind to notice where they were headed or even, Alys realized, who was taking him home. When they finally reached their rooms, Alys tried to get him to lay down in his bed, which she saw was still unmade. However, it was almost impossible to make him let go of her. He clung to her like a leech, continuing to mumble indistinct phrases. Alys sighed. _Oh come onnnnnn… Father Joseph… GOD! I don't know how to deal with a drunk dragon-youth. Please show me what to do._

But she didn't need to ponder for long. Selendrile gripped her harder and cooed softly. "Mother…Mother…." It faded to nothing. She turned to him and noticed his eyes were shut and a tear was slipping down his face. _WAIT…. A TEAR? He's crying…_ Selendrile suddenly let go of her and fell to the ground, weeping silently. Alys heart ached for him, and the expression on his face was so unguarded and broken that she reached for him and held his head to her chest. She had lost her mother so long ago, but her father's memory still ached in her heart. She let the tears fall from her face and held him tightly. He reached his arms around her as though she was his last link to the world.

Alys coughed and laughed at the irony. What a strange way to end the night. After such a full day, here she was crying with and holding _Selendrile; _the untouchable, emotionless dragon-youth. She looked down at him. "You can't sleep here in my lap, you know."

He looked up at her sluggishly. She got up and dragged him with her into her room. Alys pushed him into the bed, turned him on his side, (((A/N: if anyone you know is drunk or has had way too much alcohol, NEVER put them to sleep on their back. They could "drown" or die. Always put them on their side… and that's my Driver's Ed tip for the day. xD))) and tried covering him with the sheets, but one of his hands grabbed her arm before she could finish it.

She looked up to see his violet eyes and nearly blanched at the emotion in them. Loneliness. Like a child, he whispered, "Don't go. Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone."

She sighed. Shedding the jewelry, and letting down the braid from its bun, she crawled into the small mattress and its blankets. _I'm sorry Father Joseph, God… I hope this is what you would have had me do. _Her mind kept making up all sorts of excuses for why this was ok, but she just shut it off. _All I am to him is a stuffed animal… a comfort object...a toy... _

At that moment, Selendrile wound his arms around her and whispered a foggy "g'night" before falling asleep. She blushed but tried to sleep as well, and it soon fell upon her as that her day had been almost as mentally exhausting as his.

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A/N: ok reviewers, you know what to do…

In the meantime, I'll explain a couple things. I'm going to write an interlude chapter either next or after chapter 5. It has EVERYTHING to do with the story, but it will deviate from VVV's style of writing (which does Alys' POV only)

I have chapter 5 done. I promise… you will get your just desserts dear reviewers.


	5. Interlude

Ok here's the interlude chapter… Sorry that its so late again… I think it's gonna be a little shorter than usual… but its ok :) Right? Haha.. sweatdrops

OH, and I don't own Dragons Bait or any of the characters…

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Chapter 5: Interlude

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When Selendrile awoke he immediately felt that something was amiss. He sensed a foreign presence in the room and sat up, scanning quickly for the intruder. Instead he found her in the bed beside him, sleeping peacefully. He nearly pushed Alys out of the bed in his struggle to get out, but, realizing who she was, caught her arm just as she started to fall off. Alys, still groggy and grumpy from wakening so suddenly, turned in the bed and glowered at him. Still in shock, his mind went into hyper-drive, trying to recall why she was here, what he'd said; **anything** that would cue him into what had happened last night. He could only bring back bits and pieces from last night after Michael's house: the smell of perfume, the feel of soft hair under his lips, the smell of alcohol and the sound of laughing ringing in his ears… His eyes became huge.

A specific scene flashed before his eyes in horribly clear detail. _He was weeping into blue material and hanging onto her. The smell of perfume brought back memories of his mother which quickened the flow of tears from his eyes. The sadness and pain that he had locked away after his banishment returned full-force with a new pain: his mother's death. Through the fog of his tears he felt arms encase his head…_The memory faded here only to return with…_the feeling of wrapping his arms around her and the smell of perfume pervading his senses as darkness overtook him. _And then he blinked his eyes, embarrassment obvious on his face.

"What happened last night?!" He demanded. But as soon as he said this a wave of pain hit his head and he lowered it into his hand, groaning angrily. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a hangover.

Alys, who had witnessed the various emotions passing across his face, saw his confusion and felt sympathy for him.

"Selendrile, nothing happened between us last night. Michael told me you weren't feeling well after he told you about… something…" She paused here as confusion passed over her face as well. When she looked up she saw pain in his eyes. She glanced away. "He wouldn't tell me anything specific, except that you got drunk, but Rhoda wanted me to take you home." She sat up and pushed the blankets away before reaching to his face. "Are you alright?"

He growled and shoved her hand away. "No, leave me alone."

She glimpsed under his hands his embarrassed face and realized he was probably remembering the more unguarded moments from the night before. She frowned, but obeyed and got up from the bed, retrieving her jewelry from the floor. Turning to him she said, "Its late morning, and I think Tomas left already for work. Gwen came in early this morning to tell me that you can join him when you're ready." Alys blushed, remembering the look Gwen had given her that morning. She glanced at his face. Selendrile had uncovered his it and was sitting against the wall next to the bed.

Selendrile felt so confused. So embarrassed. So tired. But he was also calming down. The headache hadn't left, but it was ebbing away gradually. He groaned. _Is this journey even worth it?_ He glanced at Alys. She was staring at him, so he tried to analyze her face. She looked tired as well; a little cross at being shoved out of her bed, but mostly, he saw an emotion in her eyes akin to… compassion. He was surprised to say the least. _Why would she look at me like that? _He sighed. _I wish I could forget that last night even happened._

As he closed his eyes, he heard her get up and rustle through a bag. He then heard shuffling towards the door. Suddenly, Alys yelped and fell to the ground with a thud. He cracked an eye curiously, a smile making its way to his face as he realized that she had tripped on the hem of her dress. She sat, looking disgruntled and embarrassed, in a heap on the floor. She peeked over at him, and when she found him watching, put her face on the ground and started to laugh silently. His smile widened and he breathed out slowly.

"Clumsy?"

"Shut up you–!"

He chuckled out loud this time, and she looked up at him questioningly, a hesitant smile on her face. An awkward silence followed. In that time, Alys dropped her eyes, gathered up her skirts and things and began to open the door. Just as she was about to slip out he got up off the bed and went to the door, holding it open just as she tried to close it. His smile dropped momentarily, and he said quietly, "I don't want to talk about last night for now. I'll tell you tonight or tomorrow after we leave."

He saw her eyes light up for a moment. They quickly clouded over with confusion. He could tell she was thinking about something from yesterday. She spoke meekly, "I have something to tell you too. I had a dream yesterday…and…what you said while you were…not really here…it kinda seemed connected…but I–" He put a finger over her mouth.

"Not now. Tonight. Tell me then." The softness in his voice sounded strange as it fell out of his mouth. _Is this me talking? _

She nodded and whispered, "Yeah, tonight."

Alys left and walked down the hall to the bathroom, where a tub with warm water was waiting for her. Selendrile watched her until she was out of sight, his mind still spinning a bit. He returned to his room, changed his clothes, and after finding out where Tomas and the other men were from Gwen, set out to find them.

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As he approached the group of men huddled together in the underbrush, Tomas glanced up and smiled wide.

"Jon! Good to see you're sober!" Tomas laughed heartily as he got up and slapped him on the back. Selendrile bristled, but tried to control his anger. The headache was by no means gone, and he really did not need this sort of reputation.

"Hey Tomas," he said through gritted teeth. "How's the hunting going?"

"Well, its just fine! I've made a grand total of five catches this morning. You better hurry and get to it if you want to catch up." He chuckled, and Selendrile rolled his eyes when Tomas turned away.

"I think I'll hunt on my own."

"No! Don't be such a loner, man! Get back here!" Tomas' voice faded as Selendrile started to jog away from the group. The last thing he needed was someone on his back today. _If I'm lucky, they'll be out here a few more hours… I can catch two or three animals and then go find somewhere to think everything through…_

He ran faster through he forest as he thought of nearby places to rest… and his mind started to wander to what Michael had said…

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Meanwhile, Alys was sitting at Gwen's kitchen table, fighting to keep her eyes open as Gwen explained everything about sewing clothes to her. From hemming to embroidering, Gwen knew it all and wanted to impart all her knowledge to the "bride-to-be" so that life would not be so difficult. Even if she already knew a little of what Gwen was telling her, she had cooked, cleaned and sewed everything for her father for the last four years. There was more to learn, she knew, and Alys appreciated it all, she really did… It was just that right now all she could think about was tonight and what Selendrile was going to tell her about.

But Gwen was not so clueless as she thought.

"Alys! Pay attention! I just asked you a question." Alys snapped to attention and said sheepishly, "Sorry, what was it?"

"I was asking if you wanted to break for lunch…" She paused, a mischievous glint coming into her eyes. Thinking about your fiancé again?" He clicked her tongue in mock reproach. "He's going to come back soon. And based on how cozy you both looked this morning, I doubt you have anything to worry about." She winked suggestively.

Alys blushed furiously and playfully swatted Gwen on the shoulder. "Stop that! I swear my face will never be normal again so long as I know you and Sel- ur… Jon."

"Lets see… Where was I? Well, I was just about done with my lecture anyway… so lets eat lunch with my friends! And then, after lunch I'll teach you everything you need to know about cooking!!!"

Alys was looking forward to lunch because that meant more time with Rhoda, but she groaned inwardly about the next lesson. Today was going to be a long day.

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Hooray! Its over! I hope you all liked it! I wanted to resolve the night of embarrassing weirdness so that we could get the story moving. And then… I kinda switched between their POVs… What do you think? Please review!

Impashence 2006-2007 (from now on, can we just assume that this story is fully copyrighted by me? Thank you )


	6. Family Heritage Leaving Mt Vision

A/N: cries I'm SO SORRYYY!!!!! Please forgive me! You have no idea how horribly stressful life is! Emotionally, mentally… physically… Send me some love, ok? I need it!

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Chapter 6: Family Heritage and Leaving Mt. Vision

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The sun had just slipped behind the looming crater-edge-mountains before Selendrile came home from work. In the distance, Alys could see him appear on the edge of the trees in time to greet Tomas, who had been walking along the road with the other men. Gwen gave a squeal of glee when Tomas came into view, and Alys rolled her eyes in disgust at the outburst. Their figures became more distinct as they approached, and Alys noticed a strange red twinge to Selendrile's face. Gwen came out to greet Tomas, with Alys tagging behind to greet her "fiancé" as well.

She could see the hesitancy in his approach and in his eyes. When they made eye contact, Alys tried to look reassuring, if that were possible to communicate with the eyes. His expression changed and she thought she saw relief pass over his features before he shifted back into character.

Selendrile walked up to her rather lazily with a sly smile at first. She played her part as well, throwing her arms around his neck excitedly. He put his free arm around her waist; the other was occupied with a sack of some sort. After they turned to walk into the house, he leaned toward Alys and whispered in her ear, "Hope your day was better than mine."

Alys laughed softly. "Not really. I was just glad we chose this plan instead of the "injured brother" one. At least this time you didn't leave me immobile like you did with Una and Gower." He smiled lightly, a real, amused smile. Taking this as encouragement, Alys continued, "Today was hard, but manageable. I learned how to cook and sew anything and everything for an entire family… all in one day." She smiled up at him, leaning her head against his shoulder casually as they walked.

"Well that's good. It means you'll be able to fend for yourself and I can sit back and relax." Selendrile pretended to affectionately stroke her hair with his hand. Alys huffed indignantly.

"As if I can't fend for myself already."

Ignoring her comment, he continued, "…and if we ever started a family of our own," the hand on her hair sunk to her waist and pulled her from his side to in front of him. "You'd know enough to be able to take care of _all_ of us."

Alys blushed uncontrollably, looking up into his eyes in time to see a purely playful expression pass over his face. He was only trying to get a reaction from her.

As she tried to calm her heart and relax in the embrace, Selendrile walked her backward to the door, dropped the sack next to the stairs, and using both arms to trap her body against his, nuzzled his face in her neck.

"Alys, I'm sorry."

Although surprised by his words, she was also annoyed and very embarrassed, so Alys whispered harshly, "Stop, that's _enough_! We are getting weird looks from people! This is NOT normal! Ah! Stop!"

"Not until you accept my apology." He whispered. As she was talking he had opened the door, lifted her up from the ground and began to walk inside with her in his arms.

"Ok, ok, I accept!"

Alys sighed contentedly. _He's back to normal._

He laughed as they entered the house. He put her down almost immediately, and walked off into the bedroom. Alys smiled as she went back to shut the door._ We really do play the part well don't we? _Her inner voice chimed again. _Though I'm sure you wish it were for real. _Alys blushed and mentally swatted away her thoughts.

Cleaning up from the cooking mess she had left in the kitchen, she began to wonder what Selendrile's plan was concerning the next few months. He seemed to have something on his mind, but he wasn't telling her anything. _Not until tonight, at least._ She clasped at the pendant she had bought during the carnival last week, twirling it in her hands and debating in her mind about whether or not to clean the kitchen and go help Gwen make dinner.

She wondered absentmindedly what it would be like to start a family and stay in one place. With Selendrile's money, they would certainly be able to live comfortably, so long as they found an obscure place to settle down. Her face flushed slightly thinking about that, and his comment only minutes before. As she thought about Selendrile, unbeknownst to her, the stone began to heat up and swirl under her touch, glowing a soft, iridescent blue.

As he walked into the room she looked up. He glanced over and said emotionlessly, "We are leaving tonight. For now, you can go help Gwen or something; make yourself useful."

Alys frowned at the change in mood, but shrugged._ He's way too complicated to figure out. I guess I'll just take everything as it comes_. Suddenly curious, she asked, "What was your day like?"

Selendrile's eyes narrowed in annoyance, though not at her, she observed. He was remembering something from earlier in the day. He grumbled, "I don't even want to talk about it." with a sour look on his face, and she laughed.

"Will you tell me later, then?"

He looked at her with a more peaceable expression. "Maybe. We're leaving tonight."

"You told me already."

His face became momentarily confused, but he remembered and then walked into a side room. Alys, disconcerted by his uncharacteristic, scatter-brained behavior, tried to shrug it off.

"Just get your stuff packed, and we'll leave." His voice was toneless again, although she could hear a hint of lingering annoyance.

Without replying, she rushed around the small house, gathering the various things that Gwen had given her. She separated the ones she wanted to keep, like the drawing supplies and sewing kits, from the others, like the cooking pots, etc. that they already had. After she had finished, she sat down on the bed mat and sighed. "Honestly, how did she expect us to carry all of this? Its not like we have a horse or anything." She looked out of the corner of her eye for a reaction from Selendrile, but there was none.

After all was done, there were a few large bags in the middle of the room. Selendrile sat heavily on the floor, and put his face in his hands. "How did we accumulate this much?" Alys nervously replied, "W-Well, Gwen felt that it was only right that a girl should have a few things of her own, and insisted that I buy all of this for my own house when we settled down." Glancing up apprehensively, she continued, "Its just clothes, sewing stuff… you know, the basics." Before he could reprimand her, Gwen suddenly burst through the door. Selendrile leapt to his feet in surprise, and Alys nearly collapsed from relief. Now she had an ally. In his absence he had missed the lack of respect for personal space that this woman exuded, and Alys felt tempted to laugh at his half-angry half-aghast expression. But before either of them could say a word, the woman began to rant.

"OH! You both are leaving ALREADY? YOU SHOULD HAVE LET ME KNOW!!!!..." Gwen continued to fuss over Alys and the bags of things that they had packing. For every few sentences spoken, only two or three fragments were coherent, so Alys picked up something like, "…the two of you carrying all six by yourself? Pish posh!...have two wagons…can borrow one…hope you can…and stay for dinner…goodbye before you leave…one more thing!" and she was gone, just like that.

Alys fell to the ground. The woman exhausted her mentally and physically. Selendrile was still standing with the same expression on his face. He turned to her slowly and said, "Do all married women act this way?"

Alys breathed out a laugh. "No. And if you think you can make me act that way in the NEXT town we go to, you have another thing coming." They both laughed at that.

Selendrile sunk down next to her, and said, "Well, I picked up that she was willing to let us borrow a wagon for the road, and to be honest, that might be easier for you, since your human limbs wear out so easily. We also need to maintain some supplies I suppose."

"Are we stopping somewhere else anytime soon?"

"Yes. In about two weeks by wagon we will reach a town called Illyra. My friend Michael here told me about it, and because we need to lay low, I think it would be a better option than this place. You know from the carnival that this place is not a quiet, out-of-the-way village."

Alys nodded slowly.

"So, you fly and I drive the wagon?" He nodded in response, then got up and offered her a hand. She took it and once standing dusted her dress off. The blue cotton had been through so much already, and she was determined to keep it at least a little clean. "What about dinner?"

"Lets go eat, and then we can load up the wagon and head out. It requires two horses, but with what I have earned here and have already, " he smiled as he said that, "I can pay a local for two good ones."

She sighed and blew strands of hair from her face. Getting out of this place meant no more hard labor, and she was glad for the chance to finally escape from Gwen's watchful, observant eyes.

After dinner, and once the baggage had been successfully loaded, they waved goodbye in the flickering torchlight to Tomas and Gwen, who stood at the door smiling. But before they had walked more than a few steps toward the wagon…

"Oh, I just remembered! I have something for the both you!" Gwen called after Selendrile and he turned around, expressionless.

Alys grumbled, "Not another thing… "

"This is for you Jon." She handed Selendrile a small box tightly wrapped in cloth. He nodded in thanks.

"And this for your fiancé. A present from us." Rhoda gestured from herself to her husband, who was standing only a few feet away at the door to their home. Alys perked up. _A present? For me?_

"Really Gwen, we have already taken far too much of your gracious provisions," Selendrile's voice was calm but forceful. "Please keep it for yourself."

Unfortunately for him, Gwen had a strong will of her own. "No, I must insist. What else can a young bride take pride in but some personal things of her own." Selendrile looked back at Alys when he heard this. "This package is for her. I know she will enjoy it. Please take it."

"If I cannot refuse, then we shall take it." Even as he smiled, the reluctance in his voice was so very evident that Alys almost wanted to slap him across the face. _He takes presents for himself and not for me. Pssh. My foot. _She took the bag that Gwen handed her and clutched it to her chest, giving him a glare unseen by the young couple. Selendrile took his box and, amused at seeing that Alys was not going to give hers up, put it in the back of the wagon.

"Are you sure you cannot stay the night? It's not safe for a young couple like yourselves to be traveling this late."

Selendrile placed his arm around Alys and smiled reassuringly. "Yes. We will be alright."

Alys tried to be reassuring as well, but couldn't help thinking about where they were going. She would be alone in the woods for an extended period of time while he flew ahead to scout the way to the village, and it frightened her, but she was too embarrassed to admit it to Selendrile. They both began to walk away, waving at Tomas and Gwen until they rounded the corner down the street that would lead them to the gate. Michael had offered to escort them out of town, so he was waiting for them there. Rhoda was with him and Alys smiled at her, waving excitedly.

Michael approached them with a sullen expression on his face, addressing Selendrile. "I'll be sorry to see you go my friend."

Selendrile smiled in return. "Don't worry, I'll try to visit as soon as I can."

Michael groaned. "And the last time you said that it took you a solid ten years for you to come back." A teasing glint came into his sad eyes. "Though with this new 'bride' of yours, odds are you'll probably return in a few years with her and your three children."

Selendrile laughed with Michael and they walked a short distance away to discuss minor traveling details.

Alys, who had been greeted and embraced by Rhoda, overheard the last part of what he'd said and blushed furiously. Rhoda had heard it too, but she rolled her eyes, smiling. "Men…" Alys grinned back and they both laughed together. She had a confidant, an alibi in this new friend that she had made. She would miss Rhoda's female company terribly. Hugging her for the last time, tears pricked at her eyes.

"We need to keep in contact somehow." She said shakily, wiping furiously at her eyes.

"There will be no need because you will come and see me often, right?" Rhoda's kind smile seemed to be glowing in the late evening light, giving an indescribable comfort to Alys' aching heart.

She laughed. "Of course."

Rhoda glanced down at Alys' arms and noticed the white package she was clutching to her chest. "What's this?"

Alys laughed lightly. "The Gwen gave it to me as an early wedding present." They both laughed about the idea of her and Selendrile as a married couple. But then Rhoda winked at her and said, "But seriously, don't strike that possibility or treat it like it wont ever happen." Alys blushed and nodded.

"But it's just for you? May I see what's inside?"

"Well, I haven't looked at it yet either. Let's sit down over there and open it."

"Ok."

Once seated on the grass near the gate, Alys untied the package from the top, revealing a small assortment of things.

A small ivory brush sat in the center, along with a jeweled silver bracelet and the necklace that Selendrile had given her. She must have forgotten it in the room. All three items lay on top of the beautiful green dress she had seen at the carnival. Rhoda gasped and cooed over the contents, while Alys sat speechless. How could a woman who barely knew her give her all of this?

She was brought back to reality when Rhoda poked her in the side. "Do you like it?"

"Oh, I love it! I just wish I could run back to say 'thank you' again."

Rhoda smiled kindly. "I will tell her for you."

Selendrile chose that moment to return, and seeing the open contents of the package, gave her an amused look. She put her package in the back and then moved around to the side. After they had said their final farewells, Selendrile got up on the wagon and hoisted Alys easily from the ground onto her seat beside him. Michael and Rhoda smiled at them and waved goodbye.

When the horses started to move, Selendrile's arm moved around her waist carefully. As soon as Michael and Rhoda were out of sight, he asked her in a confused voice, "What's a honeymoon?"

"Why do you ask?" Alys replied as casually as possible, very conscious of the hand that had not moved from her side and fully aware that he might take what she was about to say the wrong way.

"Tomas mentioned it when we were walking back from hunting today. I was confused, but figured that a normal human male would know what it was, so I didn't ask."

"It's when a married couple take a trip together after their wedding to celebrate it."

"Is that really all?" His voice held a mischievous expectancy that made Alys uncomfortable.

"Yes, of course." She spoke through her teeth, not about to tell him everything that was supposed to happen (or at least allegedly happened) on honeymoons. Selendrile was probably just teasing her.

"I see."

Alys blushed, hoping that the inquiry would end there… but it didn't, like most of the embarrassing conversations they'd had.

"When do married couples make small humans? On the honeymoon?"

She DID get him for that one. Alys punched him hard on the shoulder before slipping away from his arm, jumping out of the wagon, and running towards the trees. He followed along the road with the wagon, laughing softly.

"Run all you want," he called after her. "But you know I'll find you."

Alys laughed as well, running blindly ahead into the darkness. She knew this was the direction of the small clearing where she had eaten a picnic lunch with Rhoda and the other ladies of the village. But she really had no idea why she was running like this. Whether it was the need to be a child again or simply sprung out of her impulsivity, she pulled up her skirt and kept running.

She also knew she wouldn't be able to hear him coming after her, even if he was close behind, so she ran with all her might, trying to avoid trees and small bushes as she went. The dim light gave her just enough visibility to do this, although she could see the moon vaguely through the trees ahead. The clearing was approaching.

The autumn leaves crunched noisily under her slippered feet, and after a short while she came to a small clearing filled with wildflowers, though most of them were closed due to the fact that it was night. Alys stopped, leaning against a young birch tree and sinking to the ground, her breath coming in short, quick gasps. Turning back, she scanned the area for any sign of her companion. She heard nothing and saw nothing. And yet… he had to be nearby.

Arms came circling around her waist from behind the small tree, the hands resting on her abdomen. "Is this where they keep them?" As he said it, Alys turned a whole different shade of red and struggled to get free, but his grip was too strong. His fingers were digging almost painfully into her side. She stopped struggling and shrugged in defeat. "I guess so."

Selendrile laughed and came around the tree, releasing her simultaneously. He lay down next to her, putting his arms behind his head and sighing contentedly. Alys rolled her eyes. Almost as soon as he brought up a topic, he ended it. _But most guys are like that…_ She turned her gaze heavenward.

"The stars aren't out tonight."

As he said it, Alys was thinking the same thing. _Clouds are covering all but the moon._ A long silence followed, and was only broken by the shortening gasps coming from Alys as she tried to regain her breath. As usual, Selendrile was nowhere near out of breath.

"I was going to tell you about my day today."

"And I was going to tell you about my dream."

Selendrile was silent a moment. "If your dream is related to last night, we should save that for tomorrow. I think I've my fill of painful memories for now."

"Oh."

"But if you have any other questions, you can ask…" He said awkwardly.

Silence.

Alys ventured, "So do you want to talk first?"

He said slowly, "Well, my day was pretty simplistic: I went hunting, caught a couple animals…" He smiled here, "And then smoked and salted them before I left to go rest. When I got back, Tomas talked my ear off until I got back… Those two are too perfect for each other."

They shared a laugh.

A comfortable silence followed.

"Selendrile?"

"Yes?"

She could feel his gaze on her.

"Do you ever think about…" Alys glanced over at him, unsure of whether or not to encourage the topic any further. "…Do you ever think about settling down with a wi- er, um, mate? And having a family? I don't know how old you are, but isn't there some age when you have to decide what you are going to do with your life?" She stopped talking, uncomfortable with the ominous silence.

He stayed quiet for a minute before responding. The answer in itself was indirect, but he replied to her query seriously. "That was one of the reasons I left; people asking me such questions and pushing me to make a decision." He paused, looking over at Alys thoughtfully. "But, I guess I've made my choice, haven't I?" Selendrile smiled at her mysteriously. She blinked. _Huh?_

"Then you had a tough life too, growing up?" Alys continued, somewhat confused.

He didn't answer. His face grew serious again and he frowned, looking away from her.

_I'll take that as a yes, but bad question._ She tried to change the topic.

"How old are you in relation to your parents or relatives? I never really figured it out…" She paused, blushing a bit. "You look seventeen, but who knows? You could be a thousand years old." Alys sighed wistfully. "I wish I could be as old as that; aging as slowly as the earth around me." She lay down on her stomach and rested her head on her hand, playing with strands of grass. A prolonged silence followed.

"I guess I'm pretty young compared to my kin."

"And how old is young?"

"I dunno," Alys' eyes wandered to his dark form as he spoke. "Probably around 50 years old."

"Will we be seeing them soon?"

"Not we. I." His voice took on a low and dangerous tone. "And you will_ never_ see them so long as I have a say in the matter."

Although at first frightened at this change in demeanor, Alys became offended. "Why not? What am I to you, that you can treat me like your property, determining what I shall and shall not do?" She said quietly. Selendrile's face was intense as well.

"They would tear you to shreds on first sight." Selendrile sat up and leaned closer to her as he spoke. Then his eyes took on a teasing glint. "Besides, I would never allow anyone but myself to mess with what is rightfully mine."

She narrowed her eyes at him and exhaled angrily. "You don't own me." Alys thrust her chin up, frustrated with his attitude. He only laughed at her.

"Technically, by the code I do." Selendrile kept a decent distance away from her, and yet Alys still felt as though he was invading her personal space.

"What does it say?" she questioned warily.

Selendrile answered in a bored tone, though he observed her reactions somewhat interestedly. "Any contact made between a dragon and another species must be strictly slave-based or food-based." He licked his lips sadistically. Alys gulped.

"Umm… I think I would rather be slave than food, but weren't we friends here? I thought we agreed to be companions, nothing more or less." She began to get up. "I saved your life, you know"

He snorted. "As though I haven't saved yours countless times."

"But that's different. I admit, it doesn't take much to save a weak human like me, but you on the other hand," She became more confident as she spoke. "You are this almighty dragon. You'd think saving your life was worth a lot more than you saving mine."

Immediately, she saw that she had irked him. The look on his face was priceless. With clenched fists, he sat there, imaginary steam pouring out of his ears. Alys winced slightly when he moved to turn his back to her. _Curses. My reflexes gave me away again._

She picked up a stalk of grass and then resumed her previous position on the ground. Maybe she had won the argument for once. She flicked the grass from her fingers, letting a small firefly catch her attention instead. "So, about this family of yours-"

"I don't want to talk about them yet." He interrupted. "Change the topic, before I end it for the night." His voice was sparking with deep-seated resentment.

Alys shrugged off the mood change. "Ok. If you don't want to remember your family, might you ever think of settling down and creating your own? That was my original question, you know."

He was silent for a minute before answering, "Perhaps" in a quiet voice.

Alys mood brightened. "Really? That's wonderful… When you do, I want to see your kids… If we are still friends." Selendrile chuckled at this, but Alys went on unperturbed. "Will all of your kids be just like you? Shape changers? Or will they be normal dragons?"

He gave her a weird look, one eyebrow arched. "What makes you think I am going to have a mate that looks like me?"

She blushed. "Well, I didn't think you could mate with different species."

Laughing, Selendrile turned fully towards her, sitting up simultaneously. "I can be any species I want to, surely I could have a mate in whichsoever one I chose." The serious look in his eyes was disconcerting, and suddenly Alys felt awkward, reminded of the charade they had been playing for the last two days. Selendrile grinned, as though reading her thoughts.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore!"

"Hey, it was you who brought it up, my dear fiancé" He emphasized the last word with relish, as though savoring how it sounded on his lips. She knew he wanted to make her uncomfortable again. He would get no such pleasure… for the moment at least.

"No, _darling_. I only sparked the conversation. YOU wanted to change the topic." In the spur of a rare emotion, she mischievously leaned over and kissed his temple, pulling at his long blond hair with her index finger and thumb. He flinched and moved out from under her lips, backing away on his hands and elbows. The hair slipped from between her fingers to the ground, and she smiled in triumph.

"HEY! What was that for?!" He looked truly offended and caught off guard, his eyes wide and cheeks slightly rosy. He was probably remembering the moment back at St. Toby's. Alys nearly choked trying to hold back her laughter, covering her mouth with her hands. She had never seen him blush before, and it was so strange to see such a self-confident person become insecure in mere seconds.

_Typical boy. _

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A/N: hahahahaa…. its so much fun to write this. You have no idea. Sorry for ending it here, I just wanted to end on a funny note; the last few were calm, strange, and suspenseful. Um… yeah. So what do you guys think? Am I describing too much? Should I leave more to the imagination? HUH? COME ON…. it takes like 2 seconds to click the little button at the bottom of the screen that says SUBMIT REVIEW and 10 seconds to tell me what you think I should change/keep the same… you can do it:) For a grand total of 12-15 seconds, please! HIT THE BUTTON!

BTW… I have most of a later chapter written. That's why it took so long for this chapter… I was writing that one. I may even make that one a separate story, who knows :)

I need ideas people… PM me… and review… that would be good too… :D

Does anybody seem OOC? Tell me… I love to fix problems…

Impashence 2006-2007 (from now on, can we just assume that this story is fully copyrighted by me? Thank you :))


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